The present invention relates generally to a system and device for controlling time intervals between billets or blocks in rolling mills and/or similar equipment which allows such control. The system consists of a signal which indicates the moment at which a billet has to be introduced into the first stand of the rolling mill by an operator observing preset time interval and a real time interval indicator between billets.
In the present state of technology, the time interval between billets occurs largely without control; i.e., it depends on the observation and experience of an operator who withdraws the coke billets and works at the control pulpit located at the furnace output area. As the pulpit operator cannot see the billet tail end coming out from the first stand because the first stand itself obstructs the operator's vision field, there is a mirror to help him. But this is not a really effective aid since the operator has to determine a random reference point located between the first and second stand. When the tail reaches that point he will have to introduce a new billet into the first stand. However, this point of reference changes according to the speed of the rolling mill, and from operator to operator. This is because the operator has neither precise information as to when he has to introduce a new billet, nor feedback of the real time interval. So, he is limited by these two factors and consequently there is a loss in rolling mill productivity.
To minimize these variations and limitations and to obtain an increase in productivity, a system and device was developed to make a control of the time intervals possible. This system was originally idealized to work in two strand rolling mills, but it can be applied to rolling mill of any number of strands.
Therefore, the primary advantages of the present invention as compared to the current state of known technology are: (1) an increase in rolling mill productivity due to the shorter time intervals between billets undergoing processing; (2) fully effective space control between billets to be rolled; (3) flexibility to change the space/interval between billets by observing variables, such as differences in mechanical properties in the materials being rolled, or in other production matters.